


Peacetime

by Thecatwhogrins



Category: snow white with the red, 赤髪の白雪姫 | Akagami no Shirayukihime
Genre: F/M, Spy - Freeform, WW2 AU, war and love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thecatwhogrins/pseuds/Thecatwhogrins
Summary: During the war, Obi and Shirayuki learn to live and love, and discover what they can and cannot live without.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!   
> I've compiled all the WWII AU content from my "To Love (In All Its Forms)" here.  
> I've also added more content because I really love this AU (yay!)  
> Please enjoy!

Rust and salt. 

That was the smell that haunted her wherever she stepped. Even in her dreams, it permeated the air, ever present but never imposing. She smelled it wherever she went and never could get it to disappear completely, much like the stains on her uniform.

Her body has been moving on its own for a while now, her mind blocking out the horrific sights her eyes laid upon every day, and to her horror, she was becoming numb. To some, this would be bliss, sweet relief. To her this was another battle lost. She feared for her empathy. Would it ebb away too, overrun by the weight of her tasks? She wasn’t sure how much longer her spirits would hold.

When the war began, her first instinct had led her to lend a helping hand. After only a year, the war was taking its toll on everyone. She wasn’t a doctor, nor was she a nurse, things that she regretted bitterly whenever she was faced with a patient too far gone, someone she knew she could not save. Her heart broke a little each time and whenever the too small room quieted down after the struggle, after the assistants shuffled off, exhausted, defeat in their gate she would sit on the floor and wonder what would have happened if had known what to do, how to help. 

But she was a herbalist and her knowledge only stretched so far and as she held the hand of the young soldier as the doctor tried to mend the broken boy, it seemed she was on the edge of losing it. His screams echoed off the walls and the moans from other men answered him, like a choir in church.

But this was no holly place and there would be no miracles today.

Doctor Garack glanced at her, worry etching itself into her fair features specked with blood and had to ask Shirayuki twice to let go of the boy’s hand. Shirayuki sucked in a startled breath and let go. The other pharmacist, Ryuu, also looked at her with worry. He was young and although she was glad to know someone on the team, she was sad to see him exposed to such horrors.

One night, as they say near their tent, under the moonlight and a bowl of watery soup between their freezing fingers, she had asked him why he had signed up. 

His blue eyes and expressionless face took on a look of determination that night. A look she had worn too. He did not need to answer for she could read it on his face. 

Her hand was trembling.

“Will you manage?” the doctor’s voice was scratchy and full of fatigue. 

She did not answer, for fear her voice would give her away. She simply nodded her head and drifted away. Her hair, the colour of cherries was matted to her face, blood, sweat and grime mingling on her brow, green eyes closed as she leaned against the door, her rattling breath coming up in gasps. Ryuu shambled away next to her, his eyes unfocused from lack of sleep.  
They slowly made her way towards the front of the medical tent, three reasons keeping her from collapsing right then and there. 

“Zen is on the battlefield”, and “I can still help.”

Her friend had been in the same unit as her and on the long nights before the battle they had promised to each other that they would both come back home.

“I might need to patch you up” she had said with a small grin, winning an indignant look from her silver haired friend.   
“And I might need to save you from the enemy!” he had countered, cheeks red and his bayonet at the ready.

She had rolled her eyes, had straightened his rumpled uniform and waved him to his nightly patrol through the city. It was the middle of winter and everyone felt the cold bitterly. They were on the battlefront, somewhere in Lyrias, the line just a hundred meters from here. 

She could hear the thunder of war, and even though her mind was used to it, her body still reacted instinctively, freezing up at the sound of the shell of the bomb screaming as it hurtled towards the ground and when it finally hit, as the impact shook the world, she hunkered down over Ryuu’s body to protect him and waited for it to pass. Usually the young boy would have told her he didn’t need protection, but he did not protest this time. He was too wary. Many others reacted the same way. They waited, made sure the air was clear and moved on.

As she unfolded herself from her position on the ground, a voice called out to her.

“Hey there little miss, need a hand?”

She looked up. A man stood in front of her, maybe a year older or two. He wore a lopsided grin and a black uniform that contrasted against his amber skin strikingly, much like the ones the officers wore but his was not as clean, as prim as the ones she had seen. His raven hair was short, almost a buzz cut but not quite. And fit was unruly, spiking up in a carefree way, so unlike a higher up.

“Do I have something on my face?” he grinned teasingly but he did indeed have something, a scar that looked like it predated the war. His cat-like golden eyes captured hers and softly she took his half gloves hand. His hand was warm strong. She shook her head at his question quickly and he chuckled.

“Up you go!” he pulled her to her feet gently and she thanked him quickly, embarrassed.

“Well, little miss, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

“Obi!” she grinned and squeezed his hands. “I haven’t seen you since... yesterday?” She giggled and his grinned widened.

“I am glad to know someone like you is taking care of our wounded.” Obi said.

He gestured towards Ryuu, whom she had trapped under her body. 

“Selflessness is a rare commodity nowadays, you’re an exotic bird, miss.”

Her face flushed red and she thanked him again.

“No need to thank me” he grinned and winked. He then swaggered off towards the officers’ tent. 

Shirayuki stared at the third reason she was still fighting.

“Go to the tent Ryuu, I am going to go walk around, I need the fresh air.” He nodded sleepily and shuffled away.

It was late in the evening, when Shirayuki finished her work for the day. The battle would slowly die out until the next morning when it would resurrect in all its terror, a hateful rampaging Lazarus. The generals were probably talking to each other in the tent. She knew king Izana, Zen’s brother, was trying his best. Everyone was doing their best.

She sucked in a breath and went to her tent. 

She had to try her best too.


	2. Chapter 2

Obi has been stabbed.

These three words were bouncing around Shirayuki’s head like rolling marbles, as she rushed towards the medical tent. She had been on a break, sleeping in her tent when Ryuu had come barreling in, a look of fear upon his normally serene features. As soon as she heard the news, she had dropped everything and ran. The slick mud was slippery under her pounding feet and her heart was thrumming in her chest. Time seemed to slow down and the only thing she could hope was: “Dear god, don’t let me be late.”

Shirayuki finally arrived, panting and out of breath. Dr. Garack stepped out of the tent and noticed the red-head right away.

“He’s fine. The cut was clean, and it was not anywhere near a vital organ. The spy was targeting prince Izana, but Obi got in the way. Prince Zen and the others are pursuing the assassin. He lost a lot of blood, we gave him a sleeping draught, so we could operate on him, we’re just waiting for him to wake up,” she reassured Shirayuki soflty.

Shirayuki realized she’d been holding her breath and she finally let it out.

Shirayuki thanked the doctor and entered the tent softly and spotted Obi on a bed near the far wall. As she approached she noticed how pale he was, how sweat beaded his forehead. The nurse overseeing him nodded at Shirayuki and patted her hand, before walking away.

Seeing him this way reminds her of the first time they met.

*

It was six months before; during a terribly stormy night. It was a miserable night, the already terrible living conditions only getting worse as the mud became slicker and the lights flickered on and off. The day had been trying and Doctor Garack was in a foul mood, mood that was not improved by the loss of one of her patients.

She had crawled into the sleeping tent and didn’t even bother to take her uniform off. She sprawled onto the cot and immediately fell into a restless sleep.

She woke up, disorientated, in the middle of the night. Everyone else was asleep, the light sounds of people asleep and Dr. Garack’s soft snoring familiar sounds. But something had woken her up. Her mind was alert, her ears searching the sound.

It was the sound of harsh breathing coming from outside of the tent. Shirayuki pondered whether she should check it out or ask someone to go with her. She decided against bothering the doctor, figuring it would maybe just be a soldier or someone else innocuous. She brought the first thing she found that would shed enough light; a matchbox.

Shirayuki stepped out, night enclosing around her, making the ground in front of her barely visible. She struck a match and squinted into the dark. She almost screamed and dropped her match when she saw a figure on all fours near the trees by the tent. What came out was definitely a squeak though.

The figure groaned ominously and Shiryuki called out to it as she approached.

“Hello? Are you okay?”

She crouched slowly next to the now-identifiable man. He was hunched over, dirt and blood smeared over his face and shirt. Shirayuki gasped and was about to call out for help.

“Please don’t.” His pain laced voice was gravely and stopped Shirayuki stopped in her tracks. It was short of a growl and completely menacing. His amber eyes glared at her and a shiver raced up Shirayuki’s spine, reminding her of the first time she had parted the sky in her grandfather’s biplane, air whistling in her ear, exhilaration and adrenaline bursting through her.

She brought her palms up, trying to be as unthreatening as she could.

“I need to call someone to carry you. I can’t do this on my own.”

His eyes were glazed over, but he still smirked.

“You don’t have to carry me. I will walk over to the tent. Run along now, little medic.”

This time Shirayuki glared back.

“At this rate you will be crawling. Don’t patronize me and get on your feet, soldier.”

His face wore a look of astonishment for a second and he laughed softly then winced in pain.

“Okay then, little miss. How do you suggest we do this?” he gestured towards his body with a gloved hand and Shirayuki would have blushed if she had heard the suggestive tone he had used but she did not, she was so concentrated on the problem at hand.

She finally decided to pass his arm around her shoulders and to half carry, half drag him towards the tent.

“What’s your name, soldier?”

“Obi. But I have many aliases.”

He winked at her, but she wasn’t sure if he was wincing in pain. He looked around slowly and when he realized where she was bringing him he swore and stopped dead in his tracks.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, worry marring her features. She wondered if She would be able to bring him all the way to the tent.

“Please, I cannot go to the medical tent.” As he uttered these words, his eyes rolled back, and he promptly slumped against her, unconscious.

Questions were tumbling around Shirayuki’s mind like rolling marbles. But she decided that treating him was the most pressing matter. She shouldered his sinuous frame and she slowly made their way towards the medical tent. She knew none of the doctors should be awake. Except maybe Ryuu.

She entered the tent heaving and panting. Despite his lean body, the man was all muscle and weighed more than she had expected. His blood was already staining her nightgown at an alarming rate, so she prepared everything quickly, a knot constricting her throat.

She laid his body upon the already sterilized operation table and proceeded to cut open his dark green uniform with a pair of scissors. The white shirt underneath was seeping with blood, at an alarming rate, so she forwent the unbuttoning and simply tore it open. At which point Obi woke up, blinking in utter confusion.

“Wow, slow down there, nurse...” He says suggestively.

Shirayuki rolls her eyes and huffs.

“I am not a nurse, I am an herbalist,” she replies primly.

He laughs, and she watches in concern as it morphs into a painful cough.

Her eyes scanned his body and she tries not to look appalled. The cut was wide and jagged, a slash that will surly leave a terrible scar.

Shirayuki composed herself and proceeds to staunch the blood with a cloth and pours onto some cotton swabs some disinfectant.

“This will sting.” She warns him softly and he nods his head, teeth gritting.

As she applies the swabs he hisses through his teeth and his brow creases into a grown so deep she worries that it might stay that way forever.

“Breathe,” she commands, and he buffs out a breath with as much sarcasm as he can muster. She continues the treatment, her movements rapid but precise to inspire no fear into this cat-like man.

“How did this happen?” she asks as she rolls the gauze around him.

“I was a little too confident in my skills, if I am to be honest.” Obi looks morose for the first time during their interaction.

When she is finally done, and a bandage is ensnaring his torso she lets out a soft sigh of relief. The work station is bloody and after the adrenaline stops pumping through her veins, Shirayuki feels her whole body tremble in exhaustion. She catches the way his eyes scan her and blushes when he lets out a small: “You look terrible.”

Shirayuki laughs, a short-lived chuckle.

“Excuse you! I am not the one covered in bandages. Don’t you worry, soldier. I will be up and at it again tomorrow without fail.” She puts on her bravest smile and swipes her brow with the back of her hand.

Obi laughs, shakes his head and there’s a smirk playing on his lips.

“I have no doubt about that, little miss.”

*                                                                  

Their first encounter had been something that Shirayuki knew she would never forget. Since then, Obi would meet up every time he came back from one of his secret missions. He never told her what he had been doing, always evading every question with another subject and a sly grin once Shirayuki realized he had managed to not answer her inquiries. She finally gave up and hoped he would let himself open slowly to her.

At least, much to Shirayuki’s relief, Obi looks better than when she had met him.

She sat near his bed, her heartbeat coming back to its regular pattern and she breathed a sigh of relief.

As though he had heard her, Obi slowly opened his eyes, groaning in pain.

“Obi!” Shirayuki brings her hand to his shoulder, hovering, trying to understand where he had been stabbed. When he gripped his side in pain, she understood.

“Miss? Have I been drinking too much again? My head is about to split open.”

“That’s the sleeping draught, don’t worry,” Shirayuki automatically answers but her eyes were burning with unshed tears.

“What happened, Obi?” Shirayuki grabs Obi’s hand softly, bringing his attention to her. He sighs and looked towards the window. It was mid-autumn now, the trees in the courtyard were all kinds of shades of red and brown.

“I saw the knife flying and I just… I couldn’t let Master get hurt, now, could I? What kind of knight would I be if I did?” he scoffs and groaned again.

Shirayuki understands but anger, for some odd reason, still burns in her chest.

“You… You should have been more careful! Saving general Izana is good, but staying alive is also good, too.”

Obi laughs, to her surprise.

“Miss, the general is a little more important than a no-good ex-assassin,” he answers gently.

The small, sad smile that Shirayuki sees upon Obi’s face is what unmakes her.

She hugs Obi sideways, arms around his shoulders, cheek on his rumpled hair, tears trickling down her nose. Obi makes a sound between surprise and pain, and doesn’t move, frozen in shock.

“Your life is worth just as much as Zen’s, Obi. I only wish you could see what I see, when I look at you.

Obi held his tongue and kept a poker face, but his heart was beating wildly in his chest, trying to escape his ribcage and give away his secret. His mind knew that her bringing him in the tent and holding his hand was nothing, but his heart paid no heed and kept doing its own thing.

“I want to see your injury, take your shirt off, please.” Shirayuki wasn’t looking at him, her face was scrunched up in concentration as she gathered the materials she needed.

As Obi opened his mouth to tease her, she added:

“Just your shirt.”

Obi smirked and obeyed. He was tempted to do it slowly and watch her face turn sunset red but decided against it once he realised that this would backfire against him spectacularly. So, he speedily shrugged off his shirt and sat on her cot.

Shirayuki tended to Obi’s wound with immense care, biting her lip softly as she cleaned the area around his neck with antiseptic. Her hands were warm, and trails of heat expanded from where her fingertips touched Obi’s neck. He gazed anywhere but at her lips, that were so close to the hollow of his throat, he shivered.

“Are you cold?” Shirayuki asked, looking up at him, worry in her apple green eyes.

“No, not at all.” Obi answered.

_It’s the complete opposite, miss._

“I know you won’t tell me where you for this scar, so I won’t ask, but...” Shirayuki trailed off.

_Please be careful_ , _Obi._

“I will make sure to stab first then ask questions later next time.” Obi was grinning mischievously.

Shirayuki groaned but decided that was the best answer she would get from him.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day came, a shy dawn hidden by waves of fog. Shirayuki opened her eyes groggily, the tent she shared with the other members of the medical team already empty. She shivered in the early morning’s cold air. She washed up with a bucket of freezing water and dressed in her nurse’s uniform quickly. She didn’t want to be late for breakfast because that would be the last time she would be able to sit down before the day brought the first wave of injured soldiers.

When the general ordered Shirayuki to his office, she obeyed, anticipation and nerves shaking through her. The news he delivered to her in the commanders’ tent leaves her reeling. When she stepped out, a familiar shadow stretched on the grass near the entrance to the tent.

She bumped into a broad chest and her hands splayed in front of her to catch herself. Callused hands caught her, one at her waist, the other at her shoulder. She let out a soft breath and looked up, catching the honey eyes of Obi. A shiver ran down her spine, but it wasn’t from the cold. He hadn’t closed all his buttons yet, and this made her extra aware of _him_. Her eyes spotted his jaw and the wound on his neck, the high collar of his uniform split open.

“Miss.” Obi sounds surprised to see her, but she isn’t surprised to see him in the least.

His direct superior was the general and she often saw them conversing together. The contrast between the two men had always bemused Shirayuki; on one hand you had Izana, all tall and regal, eyes the colour of fjords and the distant north. On the other hand, Obi contrasted sharply with all his dark edges and dust and those impossible amber eyes. But once they conferred together, there was a mutual understanding underlying every word they spoke. Their methods were different, but the goal was always the same: bring an end to the war, by any means possible.

“General Izana has decided to send me back to England.”

Obi’s eyes furrowed at these words, confusion plain on his face.

“He wants me to be part of the Air Evacuation team.” Shirayuki can feel her nerves start to hum again, as excitement worms its way into her heart.  At her words, comprehension lights Obi’s features.

“The Flying Nightingales?” he asks and she merely nods her head.

“General Izana heard that my grandfather taught me how to fly. Since I am familiar with the protocols, he thinks this new role will suit me perfectly. A squadron with medical evac that goes behind enemy lines is exactly what we need right now.” Shirayuki explains.

Obi’s face is careful, blank but there is underlying current that betrays his worry. He need not word it out loud, they both are aware of the dangers that belong to the air, even though these missions are not designed to be offensive, the enemy does not distinguish between a C-47 full of wounded soldiers and a spitfire. If it is not theirs, it’s an enemy.

 “I accepted to go. I want to go. The soldiers out there need help, and I can provide it.” Shirayuki asserts, trying to not let her voice tremble.

“Yes, of course. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.” Obi smiles and the warmth she finds in it soothes her soul. She knows she made the right decision.

“When do you leave?” Obi asks softly, his hand gripping his shoulder.

“Tomorrow.” Shirayuki’s response is even quieter.

Obi nods, as if he knew this was the answer he would get. Everything unsaid hovers between them, almost tangible. Shirayuki wishes she could open her heart and unfurl what lies inside in front of her, all these strange, unknown feelings, but everything seems to be fleeting, too late. Who knows when they’ll meet again? If they’ll ever meet again. Shirayuki suddenly finds herself fighting the urge to cry. Obi also seems on some edge, like he needs to say something, but he knows not what. Beyond the camp, the sounds of war resound and bring them back to earth.

Shirayuki extends her hand, a sad smile splayed on her lips. Obi grabs it firmly and emits a surprised sound when Shirayuki pulls him into a hug. The buttons of his black uniform vest dig into her cheek, but she finds that she can’t find it in herself to care. All that matters is the feel of his arms softly wrapping themselves, oh so hesitantly, around her and the combined scents of pine and spice surrounding her. Even though she doesn’t see this, Obi’s eyes close tight. He revels in her closeness and prays to whichever god can hear him that she’ll be kept safe. Shirayuki squeezes her eyes closed and forgets everything for a minute, suspended in time.

“Goodbye, Obi,” she whispers.

“Goodbye, Miss,” he answers softly.

*

_4 months later_

“Shirayuki, please help me with this man, I need to speak with the pilot!” hollered Yuzuri, holding a blood transfusion bag.

Shirayuki took her place by the side of the injured soldier, sweat dripping into her eyes. The plane was shaking, everyone trying to hold on tight. They were only thirty minutes away from the airfield of Down Ampney. The moans of pain from the soldiers resounded through the aircraft. Shirayuki tried to whisper soothing words to the suffering man lying on the cot near her but she didn’t know if he could hear her over the sound of the motors.

The landing was not smooth, but they did manage to land, and that was all that mattered.

With the help of Yuzuri and the other nurses, they managed to transfer all the injured men to the medical wing. After their work was done, they all walked back, bone-tired, to their sleeping quarters.

The flying nightingales were not recognized as RAF nurses. If they were, they’d hold the ranks of officers. But even though they were not given their due recognition, all of the women that worked with Shirayuki were still proud to be part of this operation, proud to be able to help in any way they could.

Shirayuki had done many a mission. With each day passing by, even though her body was busy helping people, her mind sometimes wandered back to her days in France, back to Ryuu and Zen and… Obi. He featured predominantly in her mind. She sometimes got letters from Zen but he rarely spoke of Obi. She often wondered how he was doing. And who was tending to his wounds now that she wasn’t there to do it for him.

The days on the squadron were bleak days, fulled with fear that they’d be blasted out of the sky before they could reach destination. The days went on, always the war, no end ever in sight.

But Shirayuki still found little snippets of happiness wherever she could.

Some of the nurses had been terrified the first time the plane had risen through the sky. Shirayuki had relished it. The swooping sensation, the sheer feeling of flying brought her back to simpler times with her grandfather, nothing but blue skies and white clouds as far as the eyes could see. Each time they pierced the clouds, her heart swelled.

Shirayuki also quickly became friends with Yuzuri, who also worked in her squadron. When she had seen the letters Zen had sent to Shirayuki she had been quick to tease her with them. Shirayuki hadn’t been nearly as flustered as Yuzuri hoped. But when she read a passage out loud that had included Obi, it had elicited the appropriate response from Shirayuki.

She had turned beet red.

Yuzuri had found a new weapon to tease Shirayuki with. Shirayuki retaliated with poking fun at Yuzuri’s crush on Suzu, one of the pilots. They were thus evenly matched.

Shirayuki watched the development of their relationship with happiness.

She prayed that this small bubble of happiness wouldn’t pop.

*

“Shirayuki, wake up, you’re on duty today,” Yuzuri shook her awake. Shirayuki opened bleary eyes and was welcomes by Yuzuri’s tired smile.

“It’s my day off today, I am crossing my fingers for you,” she whispered. Shirayuki thanked her and hugged her.

They were going behind enemy lines today. This was not the first time Shirayuki was doing this but her heart still thrummed away in her chest. These were the riskiest missions, the ones that filled her with dread.

She swallowed her fear and put on her uniform.

*

“We’ve been hit! Emergency protocols are in place!” the voice of the pilot crackled to life on the intercom, then died.

All the injured started moaning, praying, crying. Shirayuki and the other crew members tried their best to stay calm. Chaos reigned and Shirayuki could feel the familiar sensation of falling, like how her grandfather would sometimes kill the motors for a few seconds and let the air race up, engulf them, before he brought the motor back to life with an exhilarated whoop. He’d wink conspiratorially and say:

“Now, don’t tell your Nana I did that, okay?”

Shirayuki would always agree, laughing all the way.

But the motors did not come back to life.

They all braced themselves and waited for the impact.

*

Shirayuki awoke, groggy, her whole body numb.

She was lying on the ground, her face in contact with the cold metal of the aircraft.

She looked around, head ringing and found that the plane had been ripped in two, as though as it had been done by an angry toddler. The nose of the plane was smashed, the pilots probably dead. Pieces of equipment were strewn about. And there were bodies. So many of them.

It turned out Shirayuki had survived because she had lost balance and had fallen towards the back of the aircraft. Doing so, she had hit her pretty hard against the hull and lost consciousness. During impact, the plane broke in two. The people near the front had not survived. Only a few who had been in the back did. Most of them were very badly injured to begin with.

This was bad.

Shirayukiki stood for a moment, not knowing what to do. She checked the people who were still alive, to see how bad their injuries were. She then checked to see if the radio had survived the crash.

No such luck.

They had landed in a muddy field, she did not know where. At the east, a thick forest, at the west, fields as far as the eye could see. The last time she had been updated on their position, they had been flying somewhere over France. They were probably still behind enemy lines and the chances of her getting help was close to nothing.

Shirayuki was weighing her options when suddenly a sound came from the forest.

Men.

Speaking German.

Everything inside of her froze.

Should she pretend to be dead? What was the best course of action? Her mind was reeling but no answers came to her.

A regiment of soldiers came out of the treeline, wearing the enemy’s colours, looking exhausted. Their uniforms were tattered and many of them sported injuries. Some of them were speaking to each other, but they all stopped when they finally noticed the crash scene.

The officer in command made them all halt, and they brought out their guns, pointing them at her. The officer asked a question at Shirayuki as she stood, frozen.

“ _Wer bist du?_ _Was machst du hier?_ ”

She didn’t understand what he was saying but decided that the safest action was to show them that she was unharmed. She brought her palms out slowly, showing them that they were empty.

“My name is Shirayuki. I’m a nurse with royal air force. I’m Red Cross. See?” she pointed to her sleeve where the white band with the red cross cusped her arm.

The officer said something else, but once again, Shirayuki only shook her head. She didn’t understand.

“ _Bring mir Nanaki_ ,” ordered the officer. Another man walked towards the front of the group. Shirayuki squinted, the pain from her head injury throbbing, as she tried to see what the man looked like.

What Shirayuki saw made her stomach drop.

A pair of familiar amber eyes stared back at her, but they held no warmth, no spark of recognition in them.

Obi.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunion and truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends,  
> I'm sorry for the long wait! Here's another chapter :)  
> Please enjoy!

Shirayuki almost sobs. 

He’s here, he’s alive.

But she holds her tongue because the way he looks at her is strange, as though he’s never met her before. Her head is spinning, trying to piece together what is going on. She feels as though she is in a twisted nightmare, something out of a horror novel.

Obi walks up to her, as usual, his stride is confident, silent. He isn’t wearing his usual attire, instead he wears the colours of the enemy, to her dismay. He looks rougher than before, as though these four months she’s been gone have hardened him. From where she stands she can see that he’s sporting new, fresher scars, scars she was not there to help heal. She almost reaches out towards him but stops herself. This Obi doesn’t seem to know her.

He turns to the officer and asks something in German before turning back to her, eyes unchanged, distant. 

“I will translate what you say. Why are you here?” he asks her, his eyes prompting her to speak, even though her whole body wants to flee.

She repeats what she said before almost mechanically and he translates to the officer quickly and efficiently.

“Miss? Miss, what is your name?” Obi asks her and Shirayuki almost laughs in disbelief. But she holds it in. Looking insane will not help her case, so she tells him her name quickly. He repeats it to the officer. They start talking in hushed voices. The sound of her name on his lips feels strange, it’s distracting. 

“We will look for survivors and bring them to our camp, as this is a red cross vehicle. You will come along too,” states Obi.   
Shirayuki sways slightly on the spot, her head throbbing in pain, her mind racing with all the possibilities. She couldn’t resist them or run away. Who knew what might happen? And Obi… Could Obi be a traitor? Did he defect? 

Shirayuki simply could not believe that was the case. Zen would have written something about this in his letters. Furthermore, even if Obi was a mystery in many ways, his loyalty to the allies was beyond doubt. She had seen many times how passionate he was to end the war, bring the peace back. The mere thought of him defecting made absolutely no sense. 

Was he spying, then? Going undercover?

Shirayuki thought this made much more sense. How many times had she seen him coming back from a long absence and seen him go straight towards the commanders’ tent? He wore a uniform that was different to the other soldiers and never seemed to follow any specific unit. He seemed to shelter so many secrets and never told her where he had been, how he had received his wounds.

This thought allowed Shirayuki to breathe easily again. Yes, he was spy. That was why he couldn’t show any recognition towards her. 

Shirayuki would play along. She would not distract him from whatever mission he had been assigned to. Her resolve strengthened, and she turned towards the soldiers.

She would trust her friend. 

*

They found most survivors and Shirayuki helped the wounded onto stretchers. She was surprised that the enemy soldiers didn’t just kill them all but thanked her lucky star that they hadn’t. She was also grateful that Yuzuri and Suzu had not been on this flight, but her heart wept for the other passengers who hadn’t made it. 

They made their way back towards the camp in silence, Shirayuki walking by the side of the most wounded soldier on a make piece stretcher, holding his hand, keeping an eye on his state. When she wasn’t soothing the poor man, her attention went back to Obi’s tall figure, walking only a few meters away. She noticed the back of his neck, how his hair hadn’t been cut straight. Her heart ached, wishing she could ask him what was going on. 

But she stayed steadfast.

They finally made it at the German camp. It looked very much like every other military camp she had ever gone to. The men all looked exhausted, deep purplish bruises under their eyes, clothes that had seen too much wear and not enough washing. They watched the group as they walked by, curious but not enough to ask. The ground was muddy, the sky murky and the silence weighed heavily. The men who weren’t wounded separated from the group and went about their businesses, looking for food or stumbling away to go to sleep. 

A tent stood a few meters away and Shirayuki immediately knew it was the medical tent. The moans of pain coming from inside it was enough of an indication. The tent flap opened, and a tired looking man walked out, wiping his hands on a cloth.  
He spotted the group and his hands went limp beside him in disbelief.

He barked something at the officer, his face full of irritation. The other man replied calmly, gesturing towards Shirayuki. The doctor shook his head and replied something tiredly. She was slightly confused at this. What was going on?

Obi popped up at her side, silent as ever. 

“The officer has brought you here, so you can help the resident doctor, as we’ve lost most of our medics during a bomb raid,” he says, placid, his eyes not even meeting hers. 

“I understand,” she replies calmly, even though her heart is drumming away inside her ribcage.

The doctor approaches, his white coat smeared with all manners of bodily fluids and appraises her. 

“My name is doctor Forzeno. Are you a nurse?” he asks, his voice laced with a slight german accent. Clearly, this man has spoken English before.

 

“No, I am an herbalist, but I’ve been trained and have worked long enough to know most procedures,” she answers.  
Doctor Forzeno seems satisfied enough with this answer and motions at her to follow him.

She has one last look at Obi before the tent flap closes. 

*

The next few days are spent helping the doctor with the wounded. Communication is sometimes hard, as some of the words he uses are not the same in German and in English, making the easily frustrated doctor even more irritated. He berated her daily, complaining about every mistake she made. Shirayuki would argue back calmly until they both finished their work. It was exhausting. Furthermore, the men from her aircraft had only added more work to the Doctor who was already swamped. 

With every man Shirayuki saved, she felt a terrible dilemma develop inside of her. These men were her enemies, every time she helped one meant one of the men on her side could die. What if this man is the one who will kill Zen? What if this one kills Mitsuhide? These thoughts swirl inside her head endlessly. But at the same time, these men are also only just… men. Wounded men. Had she not become an herbalist, a nurse, to help people in their hour of need? Could she deny these men their chance at living? Had she not taken the nightingale pledge?

Every night, as she fell into a restless sleep on her cot, alongside the other remaining nurses who mostly ignored her, and loneliness wrapped itself around her, she wondered how her friends were doing. She wondered if Yuzuri or Suzu knew what had happened to her. If Zen had learned the news and if he had relayed it to Kiki and Mitsuhide. Had she been reported as dead?

But mostly her thoughts went to Obi. 

Working alongside the doctor, she barely ever had a glimpse of him as he passed through the camp. There was no interaction whatsoever, which made Shirayuki quite nervous. 

As weeks started to pass, despair wormed itself into her heart.

*

Five weeks later

It was a cold night, the doctor had gone back to his tent, grumbling and sleep-deprived. Shirayuki had urged him to go back to his quarters softly and to her surprise, he had listened. 

Shirayuki couldn’t say that they were friends. It was more like a mutual understanding. Even though they were from opposing sides of this war, they both wished to save lives. He was not a very sociable person to begin with, but he seemed to tolerate her now. 

Shirayuki was the only medical staff member left in the medical tent, putting away the instruments, cleaning up, even though her limbs felt stiff and she felt like she might drop of exhaustion right then and there. She heard someone enter and turned around.

The dim light did not make recognising the man easy, but she would have recognised this man anywhere. 

Obi. 

“Please trust me,” he whispered urgently. In the dim light his eyes burned with the urgency of his words.

Before she could even speak, he clamped a hand upon her mouth and the other grabbed her around the waist, transporting her towards a cot. Shirayuki struggled against him but her whole body ached with exhaustion. He placed her on the bed and pinned her wrists above her head with one hand, the other still firmly placed upon her mouth. What was he doing?

Outside, she heard people laughing. A group of men were walking towards the tent, being raucous. What were doing here so late at night? 

He reached towards his belt, as though to undo it, and Shirayuki looked up at him, panicking.

“Don’t worry, I would never hurt you,” he told her fervently, “look like your struggling but not too much,” he continued. 

Shirayuki was about to ask him what he meant but suddenly the tent flap opened, and the men entered, stumbling, clearly drunk. They carried flashlights and they turned them towards where Shirayuki and Obi laid. The glaring light blinded Shirayuki, making her eyes water. She struggled a little against Obi, liked he had instructed her to.

“Wer ist da?” one of the men asked.

“Das bin ich, Obi,” responded Obi. 

The men and Obi started to talk in German, too fast for Shirayuki to understand with her rudimentary grasp of the language. One of the men laughed and nodded his head towards her, his grin conspiratorial, leering, and a shiver raced down her spin.  
Obi laughed too and said something that made all the men laugh. One of the men took a step forward but then Obi’s voice took on a warning tone, even though it still remained light. The other men laughed again, exchanged a few more words, then they all exited the tent slowly. 

Calm settled once more, the only sounds disturbing the silence were the whimpers of the wounded men and the harsh breathing of Obi and Shirayuki. She stared at him, her heart racing, his eyes poured into hers and there it was, that spark of familiarity, that hint of tenderness Shiaryuki always saw but never knew how much she loved and missed till now. His scent also permeated the air, pine and spices and she nearly cried.

He quickly takes away his hand from her mouth, as though she had burned him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t what else to do,” he whispered into the dark.

“Obi… What happened?” Shirayuki asked quietly.

“I overheard them. They were going to come over here to harm you,” his eyes were hard, anger seeping through, “I came here first and said you were already… mine,” he finished, his voice is dark with an edge that Shirayuki can’t quite identify, his fingers digging into his shoulder, keeping a respectful distance away.

It takes her a moment but then she understood in that moment. She’s heard of other cases, of men taking women forcefully in villages ravaged by war. She shuddered, he need not say another word.

“Obi, what are…” Shirayuki began but Obi hushed her, a finger on his lip. He looked around to see if anyone was listening. He thought for a while before asking:

“Miss, do you know Morse code?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yes, my grandfather taught me,” she whispered back.

Obi held out his hand, as if asking her to dance. Shirayuki, quizzically, placed her hand in his. The feeling of his callused fingers was something she didn’t know she had missed. He turned it over, palm facing upwards and placed his finger on the skin of her palm, so softly, making a shiver race up her body. He held her eyes as he tapped her hand softly in Morse code.

"I was sent on a mission here by General Izana to spy and know when their next attack will be."

Shirayuki nodded. She understood, it was as she suspected. She found she could finally breathe easily. She took Obi’s hand, surprising him, and started to tap as well.

"Please finish your mission, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine."

He smiles at her in that moment, genuine and warm, his eyes full of admiration. 

"You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met. Don’t worry, we will get out of this, I promise."

And in the deep dark night, secretly, they held each other till Shirayuki thought her bones would bruise.


End file.
